How to Be a Heartbreaker
by honesthannah
Summary: Breaking the heart of the school's notorious heartbreaker is much easier said than done. Based loosely on the song "How to Be a Heartbreaker" by Marina and the Diamonds.
1. Chapter 1

**Like "The Plan" I have decided to rewrite and reupload this story. I originally planned to upload it on another account, but I decided it would be best to reupload it on my original account. I think it feels more special this way. :)**

 **The plot is basically the same as the original version, with some changes of course. I hope you like the it.**

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Chapter One:

"B-but I thought you loved me!" The sound of yet another heartbroken girl resounds through the hallways. "We've been going out for two weeks!" A sob is added to the already developing mix of tears and sniffles.

The blonde she is addressing simply rolls his eyes in annoyance, running his fingers through his hair. He glances around, seeming amused with the growing audience. He turns back to the crying girl. "I'm sorry, but it just wasn't working out between us, Kelly." He shrugs as if the girl crying in the middle of the hallway one foot away from him is no big deal. He removes himself from his position leaning against her locker and starts walking past her down the hall.

"My name's Kelsey!" The sobbing girl yells after him, bursting into another set of tears.

"Whatever." He calls back, a wolfish smirk growing on his face as he continues on his merry little way, all eyes on him. He doesn't seem to have a glimpse of concern or care that she is clearly upset with him, as he continues to glide down the linoleum floors. The jerk even has the nerve to cast a wink in the direction of some girls as he walks by them.

The nerve of him.

My eyes narrow into a scowl as he passes by me and it takes everything in me not to jump in front of him and tell him off. That, and the fact that my best friend Trish's hand quickly grabs my arm, holding me back.

Curse me for having a best friend who knows all of my instincts. That's what happens when you've been best friends with someone since grade school.

"Ally, calm down before you say anything that you'll regret." She says, looking at me with wide eyes.

"I wasn't going to say anything!" I protest, shaking out of her grip on my arm.

"Oh, really?" A knowing look appears on her face, as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Fine, I was." I give in, crossing my arms over my chest. I could never lie to her. For one, because she's my best friend and I don't have the heart to. Two, because she would see right through me even if I tried. "But in my defense, he really deserves it." I frown, anger boiling inside of me as I see the fleeting figure of the blonde make a turn and disappear down another hallway.

"As much as I would love to see that happen, and trust me, I would, I think you are way out of your league here." Trish puts her arm on my shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "Seriously, Ally? What is someone as little as you supposed to do to someone like Austin? Do you think he'll listen to you? Do you think he will care about what you have to say? Do you think he'll be scared by you at all? I mean no offense, but he's a giant compared to you. He'll probably scare you instead of vice versa."

"Hey." I exclaim, turning back to her, the frown still on my face. "That's not true."

Trish leans against her locker, giving me another knowing look. I roll my eyes and sigh, leaning my back against my own locker.

I knew she was right. There really wasn't much I could do. But, the morally right person inside of me wanted to give Austin a good telling-off. He had been doing this – breaking countless girls' hearts – since the beginning of high school. Ever since he first moved to Miami at the start of freshman year. Being captain of the football team didn't help. The fact that he was in a band and the lead singer, no less, only made it worse; it made him more desirable and irresistible to the female population at Marino. The name of the band didn't help either - Juliet's Balcony.

It was as if everything in the Heavens aligned for him, making the perfect heartbreaking machine.

Breaking hearts was like a game for him and his douchebag friends and bandmates; a form of entertainment, a way to pass time.

It disgusted me. Did they have no morals? No hearts? Playing with others people's emotions like that was not funny. It wasn't a joke and it most definitely wasn't a game.

"That guy needs a serious reality check though." I turn and tell her, shrugging her off, feeling defeated. She was right. I had no chance against the blonde.

"You can say that again." The raven-haired Latina agrees.

"It's not fair how he thinks he can just walk around here and string girls along until someone better comes along, playing with their feelings and dropping them like some piece of garbage. He has no respect for other people's feelings except his own. It's all just a game to him and his stupid friends, at the expense of those poor girls. It's absolutely disgusting." I say, folding my arms over my chest.

"Simmer down there, hothead."

I give her an unamused look, folding my arms over my chest.

"What's gotten you so fired up this morning?" Trish teases. "I've never seen you this passionate about anything besides school."

"I've just finally had it with Austin." I say, waving my hands in the air. "Who the hell does he think he is walking around here like some sex god, thinking he's all high and mighty? And to make things worse, everyone treats him like he's the greatest thing to ever grace the face of the Earth. As if his ego needs any more reasons to expand. It's already the size of Jupiter."

"That's Austin Moon for you. Been that way since he first stepped foot into here three years ago. Why is this such a big surprise to you all of a sudden?"

"It's not a surprise. It's just finally getting on my nerves. He goes around doing what he pleases and no one moves a finger to stop him. It's like everyone else is waiting to see who his next victim is. Rather than trying to put a stop to his heartbreaking, they egg him on!"

"Someone had a little too much sugar in their coffee this morning." Trish says with a smirk.

"Please, Trish." I scoff. "You know I don't drink my coffee with sugar. And besides, it was a latte. Coffee and lattes are completely different beverages."

"Coffee is coffee, Ally." She deadpans. "All I'm saying is that maybe you should cut back a little. It's making you go slightly AWOL."

"I'm fine Trish. It's just really annoying seeing him feel so proud of himself for having the ability to make a girl cry. It's only Monday and he's up to it again! This has got to be the third one just this month! That's a new record, even for him. I mean, who in their right mind would find joy and pleasure in making someone else cry? That's not normal! It's horrible. What kind of human being does that?" I rant, my arms gesticulating for emphasis.

"Okay Ally, you seriously need to calm down. People are starting to stare." Trish whispers, glancing at the numerous pairs of eyes looking at us.

"I don't care." I answer, though I do begin to talk quietly. I feel my cheeks burn at the ungarnered attention I'm receiving. "I've just had enough and it's about damn time that something be done about his little attitude and ego. Especially since no one has done anything about it yet. Someone has really got to give him a taste of his own medicine and show him what it's like to be at the receiving end of a broken heart." I huff.

"Why not you?" Trish offers, jokingly. Or so I think.

"Ha-ha, hilarious." I deadpan. "As if I could actually do something about him. That's a knee slapper. You said it yourself. How would someone as tiny as me actually be able to teach him a lesson? What would I do? Get him to fall for me and break his heart by breaking up with him in front of the entire school?" I laugh at the absurd idea.

To my dismay, Trish isn't joining in my laughter. Instead, she looks rather interested in the idea, her eyes calculating, as she turns to face me. "That's actually a good idea."

"Come on Trish." I roll my eyes.

"I'm serious Ally. Think about it. No one would expect you two to go out, nevertheless for _you_ to break _his_ heart. It's perfect."

"No, Trish. No, just no." I shake my head. "You've got to be kidding me. Why would I have anything to do with him? That douchebag is a grade-A jerk and pain in my ass. What makes you think I would want to spend more time with him than I already have to? Why don't you do it, since it's your brilliant idea?"

"Me? Have you seen me Ally? You know every little thing he does ticks me off. If I was dating him, I'd strangle him within the first five minutes. Plus, I wouldn't be able to stand that redheaded friend of his." She shudders.

"You mean Dez?" She nods. "He's not that bad."

"I would rather jump into a boiling volcano, Ally."

"And what, I would be able to stand him?" I counter.

"Yes! You have more self control than I do, especially around Dez. And, you're the only other girl who hasn't and won't fall for his tricks in this school, besides me." She places her hands on my shoulders. "You are the ideal girl for this." She then adds, "Plus, you were the one who suggested someone would do something about it. It's your idea, not mine."

"Nu-uh. No way. I won't do it. It's a suicide mission." I shake her hands off of me. "Besides, it's not like it will work. He's already stuck in his ways. He'll get what's coming to him once we graduate and he ends up flipping burgers at McDonalds and living in his parents' basement."

"Harsh." Trish laughs, nudging me playfully.

"Seriously though, Trish, there's no point in trying to teach an old dog new tricks."

"Come on Ally! Don't you want to be a legend? Don't you want to do something to spice up your high school experience? This is our senior year and what's the most exciting thing you can say that you've done in the past three years? Gotten an A on everything? That's not very interesting or fun."

I am about to protest, but the look she gives me quickly shuts down any thoughts of objection from me.

"Do you want to be known as that nerdy girl in high school? _Or_ , do you want to make a real name for yourself? You'll go down in history as the girl who broke the heartbreaker's heart! Just picture it all going down, Ally! It would be so epic! All of the girls will look up to you. You'll be an idol!"

"The only thing they'll do is laugh at me for even going out with Austin. He and I really don't mix in the social circle. I'd have better luck dating Zac Efron or someone famous like him."

"Please Alls! Just two weeks. That's all I'm asking for. Two measly weeks to break his heart and then it'll be over. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Come on Trish." I roll my eyes. "There's no need to waste any more time on this idea. It's not like it will work, anyway. I wasn't even that serious when I brought it up. You're right, I just had a little too much caffeine this morning."

"That's not true." Trish says, looking at me with an intense gaze. "You know you were actually one-hundred percent serious about wanting to do something about Austin."

"Yeah, well I realized that it won't work. We'd just be wasting our time. Besides, I don't care about being a legend or whatever. I just want to be done with high school and move on. Get into NYU or Harvard and follow my dreams of becoming a lawyer."

"But this can help you get into NYU or Harvard! This can be your admissions essay, Ally. Just think about it. ' _How I Broke the Heart of the Heartbreaker_.' No admissions officer would turn down an essay like that. It'll definitely make you stand out among the other candidates."

"No, Trish." I shake my head with finality. "I'm not going to do it. It's one thing for him to go around breaking girls' hearts. I would be no better if I did the same to him. Let's just forget about it. He will get what's coming to him sooner or later."

"Come on Ally! _Please!_ For once in your life, do something bold and daring."

"No, Trish. Sorry, but I'm not doing it." I take out my Economics book and close my locker.

The bell rings just as the words leave my mouth. I flash my best friend an apologetic smile and disappear into the crowd of students, making their way to homeroom.

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 **Let me know what you thought about this chapter. I don't know when I will update this story again. I have about 10 chapters already written, more or less, but my update schedule (which is pretty much nonexistent at this point) will depend on any free time i have.**

 **That being said, I hope you liked this chapter, whether or not your read the original story.**

 **Until next time, write on my lovelies,**

 **~ honesthannah**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

"What's your name beautiful?"

It takes everything in me to hold back a grimace as I observe Austin flirting with a girl in my Physics class. This was the second one just this period. The boy really never takes a break.

He just broke up with someone this morning and he was already on the rebound. What is wrong with him?

The blonde girl he was conversing with giggled uncontrollably, twirling a strand of her hair. "It's Michelle."

"Well, Michelle, that's a very pretty name for a very pretty girl." Austin flashes her one of his charming smiles, as he holds his chin with his elbow and leans in closer to her. The poor girl was putty in his hands. "I'm Austin, by the way."

"I know." She breaks into another fit of giggles as he scoots in closer to her. "I love your band."

Juliet's Balcony were local celebrities. Everyone in Marino knew who they were, regardless if they liked them or not. Austin and his friends formed the band in the middle of freshman year and eventually developed quite a steady following, (mostly due to the female population at Marino).

I gagged silently, trying to refocus on the lesson. But, I couldn't concentrate with little Miss Barbie laughing at every gesture that the infuriating blonde did. Couldn't she see that he was just playing her? Didn't she realize she would be the next heartbroken girl, crying in the hallway?

"Mr. Moon, it seems you have something very important to say, since you continue to interrupt my lesson. Care to share with the class?" Ms. Morris snaps, standing in front of the blonde.

"Nope. I'm good, Miss." Austin says with a grin.

"Then, perhaps you should move your seat, so as not to distract yourself or Miss Browne?"

"Fine."The blonde sighs as he gathers his belongings and stands up. "I'll talk to you later." He sends Michelle a wink. She practically melts.

"Now Mr. Moon."

"I'm going, I'm going!" He placates.

"Isn't he dreamy?" Michelle leans back in her chair and asks me. I can practically see the hearts dancing in her eyes.

"Sure." I mumble. "He's just a dream come true."

Through the corner of my eyes, I watch the blonde make his way to the other side of the room. He stops by an empty seat. As per usual, he is once again next to a girl. He winks at her, as he sits down next to her.

He wasn't always like this, I remember. His first day at Marino, I had helped him find his class. He actually seemed genuine and caring back then. He was actually a little shy, and it was cute. Thinking about it now, part of me actually thought we could be friends back then. He seemed to want to.

But the next time I saw him, during lunch, he was surrounded by the douchebags he calls friends now. A little while after that and his history of heartbreaking started.

It was around the time I started dating this boy Ethan. Unfortunately, we didn't last too long after that.

Looking back at it now, I wonder how things would've been different if he didn't join Dallas and the rest of the jerks on the football team. Maybe he and I would actually be close friends.

Trish's words come back to my mind. Could I really do it? Could I really break his heart and teach him a lesson?

No. I couldn't.

Could I?

I'm snapped out of my thoughts by the bell ringing. I gather up my belongings and flash one last, quick glance at the blonde, before walking out of the room.

I'm pretty sure I'm imagining it, but I could swear he was looking at me.

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"Hello, cutie." I watch Austin flirting with yet another girl as I stand by my locker during passing, right about to head off to lunch.

"Hi." The dark-haired girl is already swooning over him and he hadn't even used any of his signature pickup lines on her. It honestly takes everything in me not to walk over there and confront him and warn the poor girl of her inevitable fate.

"How come I haven't seen you around?"

"I'm actually new." The girl giggles, twirling a strand of her hair. She's new? The poor thing. She has no idea what she's up against. "I moved here a couple of weeks ago."

"Well, I'm sorry. My mistake for not noticing your adorable face in this crowd of people. Why don't you come to my band's show this Friday night? I can take you out after and give you a real Miami welcome."

And there you go. Hook, line and sinker.

"Thank you." The girl giggles, batting her eyelashes. "That sounds great."

I roll my eyes, returning my attention to my books.

She was literally the third girl I had caught him talking to since he broke up with Kelsey. For all I knew, there were probably countless others who I hadn't seen him talking with. I wouldn't be surprised if there were.

It was completely infuriating. It was like he didn't have a heart or a soul. While Kelsey was probably crying her poor heart out over him, he was swinging dates left and right, without a care in the world.

Someone really needed to teach him a lesson on respecting a girl's feelings and not just toying with them for his own amusement, so he could go and laugh about it with his so-called friends. It was sickening. Someone really had to give him a reality check, even if it meant actually slapping him in the face. I couldn't just sit back and watch him hurt other girls anymore. It was seriously time to take a stand and do something.

Trish is right. I shouldn't wait for anyone else to teach him a lesson. Mostly because no one else probably would.

Part of me knew that I would be stooping to his level. But, the other part of me, the morally righteous part, couldn't just let me stand and watch another girl get her heart torn out of her chest and broken into a million pieces. Especially not if I could help it.

Someone had to teach Austin Moon a lesson and that someone was going to be me. I slam my locker aggressively, storming off to the cafeteria.

I've made up my mind.

That boy is going down. Hard.

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"I'll do it." I announce to Trish instantly as I sit down at our table.

"Do what?" She prompts, smiling cheekily at me.

"You know what! The stupid plan. To break his heart. I'm on board."

"I knew you'd come around!" The Latina squeals, standing up and reaching to hug me across the table. "But what changed your mind all of a sudden?" She asks as soon as she sits back down.

"Austin did. He's already flirted with three girls today, that I've seen, and it hasn't even been three hours since he dumped Kelsey. I've seen him play with too many innocent hearts and shatter them, and I've had enough of it. I want to take him down Trish. I want to take him down so hard, he won't even know what hit him," I seethe, my hands clenched into fists.

"Damn, I like this new Ally." She smiles, her eyes brightening.

"I'm really serious about this, Trish. I want to bring him down to the dirt."

"Where have you been hiding all of these years?" She teases.

I roll my eyes, turning back to eating my salad.

"Well, if you really are serious, you'll need this." Trish rummages through her book bag and pulls out a crumpled piece of paper.

"What is this?" I ask, smoothing out the creases and reading what was on the paper.

"Duh Ally. It's four rules on how to be a heartbreaker." Trish says.

 _How To Be A Heartbreaker_

 _1\. Have fun, but when you're done, be the first to run_

 _2\. Don't get attached to someone you can lose_

 _3\. Wear your heart on your cheek, but never on your sleeve_

 _4\. You got to look pure, kiss him good bye at the door and leave him wanting more_

"Are these lyrics from a _Marina and the Diamonds_ song?" I look up at the raven-haired girl.

"The girl knows what she's talking about." Trish shrugs.

"Really?" I look at her skeptically, gesturing at the lyrics with my head.

"What? It's true."

"'Have fun, but when you're done, be the first to run? Wear your heart on your cheek? That's ridiculous."

"Well, it's not like I see you coming up with any ideas of your own, Little Miss Brainiac."

"Hey!" I exclaim.

"Come on, this is the best we've got. Take it or leave it."

"This is crazy Trish." I shake my head, handing her back the piece of paper. "When did you even get this?"

"I did my research during class. I had a feeling you would come around." She grins slyly. "Now come on, we have our work cut out for us."

I roll my eyes. "Do you even have a plan?" She nods eagerly. "Tell me about it." I sigh, having a strong feeling that this will come back to bite me in the ass.

"My pleasure."

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 **Thank you for the reviews on the first chapter. I'm glad you guys liked it! I hope you like this chapter, too. I'm sorry that it's a little short, but I promise things will definitely pick up after this. I have no idea when the next time I will update will be, but I will try to post the next chapter as soon as I can!**

 **Until next time, w** **rite on my lovelies,**

 **~ honesthannah**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

"Ready to begin step one?" Trish asks, closing her locker.

It's been a week since Operation Break Austin Moon's Heart was first created. The plan was to make him fall for me in the course of a two-week period.

Using the lyrics from the Marina and the Diamond's song, Trish and I had devised a simple seven-step course of action.

Step One: Get Austin's attention.

Step Two: Play hard to get.

Step Three: Agree to go on a date with Austin.

Step Four: Continue to act uninterested, but hang out with him several times throughout the two weeks.

Step Five: Get him to fall in love with me.

Step Six: Announce the plan to the whole school and break his heart.

Step Seven: Write one kick-ass college admissions essay about the experience.

After a great deal of arguing and pleading, I had finally convinced Trish to push back our starting day. She wanted to start right the next day after I first came up with the idea. In my mind, it would be better to begin in a new week. News of Austin's break up with Kelsey had died down come Monday morning, since he had successfully flirted with almost every other single female in the entire school since then. (That boy really moves on fast.)

Besides, it would make the most sense to start off on a new week. I would only have to deal with him for fourteen days. Then, it would be over and I could go on with my life.

I honestly couldn't wait to bring down the notorious Austin Moon. Just the idea excited me. Trish was more excited for the legacy we would create. I, on the other hand, was more excited to final teach the blonde a well-deserved lesson.

"Yes." I give her a firm nod, turning to face her from my position of watching the blonde flirt with a freshman a few lockers down from us. The poor girl looks as if she is about to faint due to the fact that he's actually making conversation with her.

"Excellent." The Latina rubs her hands together maniacally.

I look back at the scene, only to see that the blonde has begun twirling a strand of the freshman's hair between his fingers and she looks ready to burst from excitement and disbelief of what is truly happening to her. Watching them only fuels the fire burning deep within my soul.

The boy really is asking for a lesson.

I glance back up to observe the blonde and the freshman only to realize that Austin has already moved on to greet his friends across the hall and the oblivious girl is leaning against her locker, the breath knocked out of her.

"Wait, no." A wave of panic comes over me and my heart starts wracking in my chest. "Trish, I can't do this! What the hell were we thinking? This isn't going to work. He'll see right through me the second I walk up to him."

"Ally, relax. You need to breathe," Trish grabs my shoulders, gently squeezing them. "There's no way that's possible. No one has or ever will think about doing something like this, Ally. We're in the clear. You're going to be fine."

"I-I can't do this. I'm not made to take part in something like this, Trish. You are, not me." I start hyperventilating, my breath catching in my throat. I am about to start pacing, when she grabs both of my wrists, effectively stopping me. "You're the evil and maniacal one out of the two of us. I'm nerdy and shy one. There is no way I can pull something like this off. It's not going to work."

"This is exactly why _you_ need to do this. Come on, Ally! You have to snap out of this. I have complete faith in you. And, so does every other girl in this school, they just may not know it yet." She says, keeping me in place. "What happened to the fiery passion you had about this last week? Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?"

"Because I didn't realize exactly how stupid and crazy this was until now, Trish! I mean, look at him! The boy's practically synonymous to the word womanizer. The fact that he's in a band only makes it worse! How am I supposed to break his heart?! How is little me supposed to actually go through with this? I'm not ready. I can't do this."

"You have to breathe, Ally. Just follow the rules and everything else will fall into place. There is nothing to worry about. We have everything planned out. I'm always just a phone call or text away. If something's going wrong or you don't know how to respond to something he says or does, just say the word, and I'll be right there."

"I-I can't." I shake my head. "I'm sorry, Trish, but I can't."

"Ally," Trish grabs my shoulders and forces me to look at her. "Just think of that little girl over there." She motions to the freshman with her head. "Look at her. Do you see how innocent and uneducated she is in the ways of Austin Moon? Do you want her to be another broken heart? Do you want her to be his next target?" She pauses, turning back to me. " _Or_ , do you want to finally put a stop to Austin's constant flirting and show him how the other side always feels? You can make the change in the world, Ally."

I take a deep breath, looking at the tiny girl. She's smaller than me, which is saying a lot with my five-foot-two frame. She looks so innocent and shy. I can already picture her in tears, the blonde walking away from her, that notorious smirk on his face.

I can't let that happen. I don't want to see another girl's heart be torn out of her chest because she was so overwhelmed with the fact that the hottest boy in the school was actually going out with her and not her friends (although I'm sure he'd move on to them in a matter of time).

Besides, I was the one who said someone needed to bring him down. This was my idea. It would make me look bad if I had in a way gave Trish the idea to use and ended up not going along with it. I, Ally Dawson was anything but a hypocrite.

I had to this. If not for me, then for the sake of future broken hearts. If I didn't do this, who would?

"You're right." I nod eventually, my nerves calmed once again. "I'm going to save future girls from the pain of mending their broken hearts."

I could do this. I _would_ do this.

"That's my girl." Trish beams proudly, pulling me into a bone crushing hug. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Trish." I squeeze her back tighter.

"Now you remember the plan, right?" She pulls away, letting go of me.

As I already mentioned, step one was to get Austin to notice me. Step two was to play hard to get. Our goal was to get through step one and begin step two today.

Our initial start to the 'operation' was for me to get Austin's attention, obviously. I had to catch his eye and get him interested enough in me to keep pursuing me and hoping to score a date. Of course, I would have to not give in so easily and force him to go out of his way to prove that he's serious about being with me and then I would accept the invitation.

After that, we could get onto real fun stuff, as Trish called it. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I needed to get Austin's attention first, after all.

In typical high-school rom-com style, I would "bump" into Austin, coincidentally dropping my books. Austin, being the ladies' man he is, would probably help me. If all worked well, he would try to ask me out. I, of course, would deny him. And, the chase will begin.

"Yes." I move my head up and down with certainty.

"Great." Another smile graced her lips. "Now remember, the first rule is to have fun, but you have to be the first to run when you're done. So, do have fun with him and get Austin all flustered, just make sure not to spend too much time conversing with him now. You have to keep the talking to a minimum, got it? We don't need to cause any suspicion among him. No offense, Ally, but you're not the best liar. You tend to ramble on and on when you're lying or nervous."

"Gee, thanks." I roll my eyes. She is right, though. I tend to start rambling and sputtering random facts when I am lying or when I'm nervous.

"Sorry hun, but it's the truth. I'm just letting you know."

"I know, Trish." I roll my eyes. "I know what to do."

"Alright, alright. Oh, and don't forget to text or call me once you're out of earshot from him, if I don't hear anything by lunch that is. Have fun." She squeezes my shoulder in encouragement before shutting her locker and proceeding down the hallway.

I watch her go before turning back to the last spot where I saw Austin. It is only then that I realize that the hallway is completely empty of any students except me and the blonde.

He is leaning against a locker, clearly distracted with texting someone on his phone. I can hear him sigh in frustration, probably over what he was reading, I assume.

I wait for him to start moving. It takes a few more seconds before he leaves his position against the locker and starts heading in my direction, his nose still in his phone.

It's time.

Taking one last deep breath, closing my locker. I start walking, purposefully not watching where I am going. Within a few seconds, I feel my body hit something hard, the impact sending me falling backwards. My books and the contents of my bookbag scatter around the floor.

I land with a hard thud, letting out an ungraceful 'oof' as the air is knocked out of me.

"Watch where you're go-." Austin stops mid-sentence, his eyes growing comically wide, before he kneels down before me. "Oh god, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He questions, helping me pick up my belongings.

Like Trish and I hoped, just as if we were in one of those cheesy high school romance movies, our hands touch as he hands a pen to me and our eyes meet for the first time.

"A-are you okay?" The blonde asks again.

"I'm fine," I answer coldly. "Thanks." I take the pen out of his hand and shove it into my bag.

I glance back at him, to see him just looking at me, not saying a word, with an unreadable expression on his face.

Then, he speaks. "Hi." He gives me his most charming smile, and one I've seen him use more than enough times to become immune to it.

"Hi?" I reply. Was this how he usually started off conversation with other girls? And they fell for this nonsense? Unbelievable. This would be easier than I thought. I smile internally.

Seeing that he is not going to say anything else, I slowly get up and start to head down the hall.

"Ally."

The sound of my name stops me in my tracks. I turn around, unable to hide the surprise that he knows my name. I can't believe he actually knows who I am.

"Y-you know my name?" I ask, hating the shock evident in my voice.

"Well, yeah." He says, sounding almost offended at my surprise. As if he thought I knew that he knew who I was. As if I should know that he knows who I am. I'm sure my eyes are tricking me, but I think I see him blush a little.

We stand in an awkward silence for a few seconds. I look everywhere but into his eyes.

"Sorry about that." He says eventually, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"It's no problem." I say coolly, nodding my head. Things were going well so far. I think Step One was definitely a success. Remembering Trish's advice, I decide to end the conversation there. "Well, see ya." I tell him, before turning on my heels and heading down the hallway.

"Wait." He calls. I hear him running after me.

I turn around, underestimating how close he is to me, bumping directly into him. We both fall backwards from the impact. My books go flying everywhere again.

"Sorry." Austin says, while grabbing some of my things.

 _Rule no. 1: Have fun, but when you're done, be the first to run._

Time to have some major fun.

"Are you always this clumsy?" I say, with a teasing smile. "Or is it because of me?

I can see the blonde's face flush a light shade of red. It's a great feeling to see him be on the receiving end of a blushworthy comment.

"Am I making you nervous?" I add.

"What? No. Of course, not." He shakes his head; his burning cheeks saying otherwise. Messing with him is actually pretty fun. But, don't let Trish know I said that.

"Relax." I say, laughing. "I'm kidding."

"Oh." He says. He lets out a tiny laugh. "You got me." He looks at me, a twinkle in his eye.

We finish picking up all of my things in silence.

Austin hands me a pile of books. "Here."

"Thanks." I say, smiling as I take the books. My hand gently brushes against his as I do. Despite myself, I feel my cheeks burn.

He stands up, holding his hand out for me. Reluctantly, I grab it and let him pull me up.

"Thanks." I say again, nodding. I hold my books close to my chest.

"Sorry about that … again." Austin says, with a chuckle. His hand rubs the back of his neck again.

"Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure you're okay? I can take you to the nurse or something if you're no-."

"I'm fine," I cut him off, finding amusement in his flustering. Who knew Austin Moon could be so easy to confuse? "But, I seriously need to get going, so if you don't mind." I motion at his hand, which is still holding mine.

"Oh, right. Sorry." He says, letting go instantly. His cheeks burn red. Damn, he was practically flopping like a fish out of water.

"Thanks." I say, before turning on my heels and proceeding down the hallway.

To my utter surprise, I feel myself being pulled back around. I honestly thought Austin would've been too lost to function properly by now.

"Hey, listen, I'm sorry." He looks right into my eyes. I think I see a glimmer of hurt or regret in his eyes, but I'm sure I'm just seeing things. It was probably a trick of the light. I don't let it phase me.

"I'll see you in Physics." I say casually, before turning around and flipping my hair and sashaying down the hall, making my hips shake purposefully as I do so.

"Physics?" He repeats, almost as if the word is foreign to him.

I stop and turn back to face him. "Yes, Physics." I nod my head slowly. "The class we have together? You would know that if you bothered to show up half of the time."

"Oh, right." He says, nodding his head.

"Hey, Austin." Both the blonde and I turn in the direction of the voice coming down the hall. The voice's owner is one of his football buddies and bandmates, Dallas. He's in his yellow and white football uniform. He stops in between us, shooting me a curious look, before turning back to Austin. "Coach is wondering where you are. Practice started like twenty minutes ago, man."

Austin's eyes don't leave mine. He has an unreadable expression on his face.

"Yo, earth to Moon? It's time for practice. Let's go." Dallas says, snapping his fingers.

Seeming to snap out of a trance, the blonde nods. "Oh, yeah. Right."

The two of them start heading down the hallway from which Dallas had come. Austin turns and looks back at me a few times, at one point almost tripping over a garbage can.

I bite my tongue to hold back a chuckle.

"Watch where you're going, idiot." Dallas teases, pushing him playfully.

"Shut up." The blonde shoves him back. They reach the end of the hall. He turns to look back at me one more time, before he and Dallas turn a corner and disappear.

Nodding my head in satisfaction, I finally walk to my Economics class, considerably late.

Step One: Getting into Austin's head was a go.

The teacher looks at me with one eyebrow raised when I walk into the classroom. I apologize, fabricating that I had an emergency at home, causing me to arrive late at school. Of course, since it is my first time, he buys it without a question.

Once I take a seat in my class, I sneak my phone out of my pocket and send a quick text to Trish.

 _Step One: Complete_

I don't even have to imagine her expression as she reads the message or how excited she would be to continue the rest.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that at this moment, I'm more excited to go on than she is. Learning that I can so easily get into Austin's head gave me an even bigger burst of confidence than Trish's pep talk earlier in the morning did.

I was going to bring him down.

* * *

 **Thank you for all of the support! I wanted to get this up earlier, but I didn't have time and I also didn't like how one part of this chapter was going. I had to edit it a little, but I'm much happier with it now.**

 **I hope you like this chapter!**

 **~ honesthannah**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Austin doesn't come to Physics, though I couldn't say I was surprised. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't want to face myself either. I really didn't think I could pull this off before, but now that I had started, I have to admit, it's kind of fun.

Of course part of me still feels guilty knowing that I'm going to hurt someone by the end of this, I know he deserves it. If there was another way to get to him and show him what he was doing was wrong, I would be all ears.

But I know just talking to him won't work. I had seen Dez scolding and lecturing him time and time again. He would just pat the redhead on the shoulder, laugh it off, and walk away.

Why would I fair any better? He didn't even know me. If he didn't listen to his best friend, he definitely would not listen to some random girl.

I just have to keep reminding myself that I'm doing the right thing, whenever I start to feel some doubt. I'm saving countless girls from getting their hearts broken in the future. And, I am getting a very unique and interesting topic to write about for a college application essay. I just need to remember the bigger picture here.

I am snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of the bell ringing. I close my notebook and shove it in my backpack, before standing up.

"Ally?" A voice stops me in my tracks as I am about to open the classroom door. I turn around to face my Physics teacher, Mr. Nichols.

"Yeah?" I ask, walking up to his desk.

"Would you be able to drop the attendance off at the main office? I'll write you a late pass for your next class."

"No problem." I smile.

"Thank you." The elderly man says, while filling out my late pass - a light blue piece of paper. He hands me the attendance folder and the late pass.

"See you tomorrow." I say, before walking out of the classroom.

As I walk into the main office, I am not expecting to see a pair of golden eyes.

Austin.

He is sitting in one of the chairs lining one wall of the office. His chair is right next to the entrance of Principal Daniels office. Though, I can't say I'm too surprised to see that he was having a meeting with the principal at this time of the day. He was as much of a troublemaker as he was a heartbreaker. I suppose those nouns went hand in hand.

I'm sure he would've been kicked off the football team by now, if it wasn't for how good he was. I haven't ever been to a game, but I heard more than enough girls swooning over how he looked in his football uniform or how amazing he had been, the morning after a game. He was probably an asset to the team and the coach probably often fought and petitioned for him to be allowed to stay on the team.

He looked up from the ground as soon as I walked in. The second our eyes met, I duck my head and walk straight towards the secretary's desk.

"Hi Mrs. Pearson." I address the elderly woman with a smile. All the while, I feel golden eyes boring into the back of my head. I quickly give her the attendance sheet and start walking out of the office. But, before I could even take a step out of the door, a voice catches me midstep.

"Ally."

I didn't have to turn around to see who it was, though I do anyway. "Yes?" I ask as soon as I face him, my arms folding over my chest. He had gotten up from his seat and was standing a foot away from me.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier."

I open my mouth, about to utter a word of protest, when I am interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing from behind the blonde. "Mr. Moon." Austin turns around at the mention of his name, to see Principal Daniels standing in the foot of his doorway, staring at the both of us. The middle-aged man's hands are folded over his chest, his expression one of displeasure as he looks from me to the blonde.

Austin glances at me, then at Principal Daniels, before he looks back at me. His shoulder droop as he sighs dejectedly. Principal Daniels points towards the interior of his office, stepping out of the doorway, as the blonde walks inside. He follows Austin inside, closing the wooden door behind him.

I continue to watch the door. Part of me feels upset that my interaction with the blonde had gotten cut off. I hate myself for it.

The late bell rings, snapping me out of my thoughts and I quickly turn around and head out of the office.

My phone buzzes in my pocket as soon as I reach the hallway. It's Trish.

 _Just saw your message! That's great! Things are going well. Can't wait to see how it goes! Text me any updates._

I shove my phone back in my pocket, smiling brightly, and continue on my merry way.

* * *

I head to my locker after my Spanish class to put away my textbook and grab the one I needed for my next class. As I turn the hallway leading to my locker, I stop mid-step when I am met with a pair of golden eyes.

"We need to talk." Austin states, quickly, right to the point, as he leans against my locker.

"I kind of have a class to get to, so thanks, but no thanks." I walk over to him and motion for him to move out of my way.

"Look," the blonde steps closer towards me, one of his hands slowly making its way to grab my wrist. "About this morning, I know we kind of got off on the wrong foot-."

"You can say that again." I cut him off, removing my hand from his grasp and opening my locker.

"But," he continues. "I don't want you to think that I'm some sort of-."

"Grade-A jerk? Douche bag? Inconsiderate scumbag? Please do feel free to stop me once you find once a name you like." I interrupt him again as I take out the book I was looking for.

"I get it." He cuts me off this time, his voice doing little to help hide his clear annoyance and offense. "But that wasn't exactly the direction I was going in."

"What's your point?" I turn to face him, holding my book close to my chest and crossing my arms over it.

"I want to make it up to you. Let me take you out tonight."

"Well, thanks for the offer, but it's going to be a hard pass for me." I close my locker and turn on my heels, starting to head down the hall.

Step Two: Playing hard to get – check.

Second point – Ally.

After a second, I hear footsteps running after me. "What?" Austin blocks my way. "Why?"

"Sorry, but I'm just not interested in dating someone like you." I shrug, flashing him a saccharine smile. I pat him on his head, before once again heading down the hall.

"What does that mean?" The blonde walks after me.

I take a deep breath. "Save it, Austin. I really don't have time for this right now." I say, continuing to walk, hoping he's following me. Hearing the echoing of footsteps behind me, I know he is. I smile internally. "I have to get to class and so should you."

"No." He simply objects, grabbing my wrist and forcefully pulling me back to him. He does it with such a great and unexpected strength, that I end up flying backwards and our chests wind up pressed close together. "Not until you really tell me why you won't go out with me."

I scoff. "Why I _really_ won't go out with you?" I shake my head in disbelief, turning away. "I know the type of guy you are, Austin." I say, turning back to face him. "I know how you treat girls and I'm sorry that I don't want to be treated that way myself. Unlike some of those other girls, I have some self-respect and dignity."

"It's not like that, Ally." He grabs my hand. "You don't understand."

"No, Austin." I pull my hand out of his grip. " _You_ don't understand. Why does it matter that I won't go out with you? I said no, so that's it. I just don't want to. I'm not interested. Besides, don't you have plenty of other girls lining up? You can choose one of them. I'm sure they'll say yes."

"Then why would I be wasting my time asking you out when I can get any one of them?" He retorts, his eyes blazing. A second later, his facial expression morphs to one of guilt and horror. "That came out wrong-."

"Save it." I put my finger on his lips. "You just proved my point and gave me all the reason I need not to go out with you." I readjust my bag on my shoulder and turn on my heels, proceeding down the hallway to my next class, not bothering to look behind me.

I don't need to turn around to know Austin's wearing an expression of complete regret.

Third point – Ally.

* * *

"Ohhh, _girrrrrl._ " Trish squeals after I recount to her all of the events of the morning. "We are going to crush him." She turns to face me and grabs my shoulders. "You, my dear, are going to be a legend."

I roll my eyes, but smile nonetheless. I look down at my lunch and take a bite of my sandwich.

"Okay, so next part of the plan. Now that you've caught his attention, he is going to continue to pursue you and try to get you to go on a date with him."

"And I keep rejecting him and playing hard to get."

"Exactly." Trish grins.

"I have to agree to go out with him eventually, though." I say. "If I keep rejecting him, at some point he's going to give up and move on."

"We'll keep playing with his head for the rest of the day. At the end of the day, finally, but reluctantly, give in to go on one date with him. Tonight, if possible. The faster we get things moving, the faster we can break him."

"Sounds good." I nod, smiling.

"Uh oh." Trish says, suddenly.

"What?" I ask.

"Approaching Bozo the Clown."

Before I can ask what she means, a flop of red head positions himself on the other side of our table.

"Afternoon ladies." He nods at Trish and I.

"Dez?" I question. "What are you doing here?" He's Austin's best and most closest friend. He's not a member of _Juliet's Balcony_ , though he does film their shows. He also isn't on the football team, though he is the equipment manager. Courtesy of being best friend's with the star, I suppose.

Trish just scowls. I kick her under the table and give her a look, mouthing "Be nice."

"It has come to my attention that Austin has found interest in you, but you have rejected him. Is that correct?" He asks, looking directly at me.

"Um ... yes?" I reply, turning to look at Trish quizzically. "What is this all about?"

Dez didn't really talk to anyone, save Austin. He was kind of a loner. It was because he was a little odd, with the way he dressed and the way he acted. Though, I must say he was talented with a camera. I was in an art class with him last year and he directed, wrote, and produced his own animated short film for his final project.

"That blonde bozo probably sent him here to scout out any information about you or convince you to go out with him. Isn't, that right?" The Latina stares him down.

"I can neither accept nor deny that statement."

This was a little unexpected. Trish and I never planned on the blonde sending the redhead to talk to me. Dez never got involved in Austin's relationships.

Maybe this is good. If Austin asked Dez to step in, then this was serious. I smile internally.

"Listen you dim-witted, good-for-nothing, dumb-."

"Trish." I cut her off. "I think it would be best if you would leave the two of us alone to talk. I can handle this." In all honesty, I didn't trust her in front of the redhead and I didn't trust myself in my ability to stop her quickly enough, if things got out of hand.

She's about to protest but I glare at her and she's out of her seat in seconds.

"Fine." She mumbles, walking out of the cafeteria dejectedly.

"Thank you." Dez sighs in relief once she's out of earshot.

"Trish was right, wasn't she? Austin sent you here?" I don't hesitate to ask.

"Okay, fine. You got me. I'm not going to beat around the bush so yes, he did. But I'm just playing my role of the supportive best friend and wingman here."

I roll my eyes, playing along. "Look, I don't need to hear any excuses from you about why I should go out with Austin. He's just not my type and I'm not into him. You can tell him yourself the same thing I told him this morning, I'm not interested. End of story."

"Please, Ally. Just give him a chance. You'll see he's not all that bad. He's a really passionate guy if he wants to be."

"Yeah, I can see that. He's quite passionate about breaking girls' hearts." I pause, giving the redhead a look. I shrug. "Sorry if I don't want to be added to that list."

"But he's really a compassionate guy. I promise."

I laugh. "I'd love to see that." I shake my head. "But come on, Dez. I don't care about whatever he wants you to tell me. My answer is still no. And there isn't anything you can say or do, that will make me change my mind. The same goes for Austin or anyone else he tries to send over."

"You haven't even heard me out yet." He protests. "At least give me a chance to explain myself."

"Dez-."

"Ally, just listen, okay?" The urgency in his voice surprises me and I close my mouth. "Now yes, Austin does have a reputation. But do you think if he really didn't care about you, that I would be here right now? He's never sent me to talk to a girl before."

So, I was right. Austin hadn't ever sent the redhead to talk to a girl for him. This was really good. Now, I just had to use this to my advantage.

"For all I know, Austin probably just can't stand the fact that someone finally rejected him." I say, getting up. "I appreciate you trying to help and be a good friend to him, but my mind is already made up." I start to walk away.

"Just tell me what it would take for you to agree to go out with him." Dez races after me.

"I already told you, nothing. I'm sure Austin can regain his fractured ego by the end of the day."

With that, I walk out of the cafeteria, just as the bell rings.

* * *

I let out a deep sigh as I start walking down the hallway, out of the school, and into the student parking lot. I had just put away my last book, for my Law and Government class, in my locker. Now, I was on my way to my car.

I am not surprised to see who is standing, or should I say leaning, against the hood of my black Prius.

Remembering what Trish and I had discussed during lunch, I voluntarily scowl as I stop in front of my car.

"You really can't take no for an answer, can you?" I ask, crossing my arms over the chest. I look at the blonde warily.

This meant that the plan was working. Quite well, if I may add.

"Nope." He beams proudly, standing up straight and approaching me. His hands are behind his back. "You've got to appreciate my perseverance though."

"Look at you using such big words. What, did you just look that up like five minutes ago?"

"Maybe." He looks down sheepishly, before clearing his throat.  
"... but that's not the point."

"Don't you have football or band practice to get to?" I ask, quirking my eyebrows at him. I place my hands on my hips.

"Not for a couple of more hours."

"Can you please get out of my way, Austin?"

"Not until you agree to go out with me."

"I already told both you and Dez, that I'm not interested. What don't you understand?"

"Just one date. That's all I'm asking for. And then, if you're still not interested, I'll give it up."

"Give me one good reason I should agree to go out with you." I reply, folding my arms over my chest

"Look, I know I'm not the greatest guy around here and I've had my moments, but I'm really trying here. I don't know what you want me to say or do to prove it to you, okay?"

I just look at him.

He pulls out a bouquet of flowers from behind him. I cannot help my gasp as I see that the entire bouquet is made out of marigolds.

"Marigolds are my favorite." I say, unable to hide the surprise from my voice. "How did you know?"

"It's a secret." He winked. Despite myself, I feel my cheeks burn. I look down at the flowers, hoping he doesn't notice my red cheeks. How did he know?

The fact that he went to a florist to get the bouquet was honestly so sweet. This was what I was waiting for. I didn't want him to make some half-assed attempt to ask me out, like he did with other girls. I wanted him to make a genuine effort to ask me out, not just a demand or an offer, like it was some prize to go on a date with him.

This meant that the plan was really, truly working. I knew Trish would be happy to hear the news.

"Okay." I smile, nodding my head.

"Okay?"

I look up at him. "You have one date, but don't mess it up. And you better not go trying anything. Pick me up at seven thirty, and don't be late."

His face remains in its dazed state as I settle into my car and start the engine, pulling out of my spot and driving past him.

Part Three: Get A Date was complete.

Fourth point – Ally.

Let the real fun begin now.

* * *

 **I am sorry for not updating this sooner. (I feel like I'm starting all of my author's notes like this.) I actually had most of this chapter typed up and ready to go, but I reread it and some parts I ended up not liking. So, of course, I had to rewrite them. But, I had writer's block and didn't know exactly what I wanted to change.**

 **That being said, I do hope you like this chapter.**

 **Until next time,**

 **~ honesthannah**


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